Believing in Happy Endings
by Kristen3
Summary: Set after 4.12, "Heroes and Villains." Emma finds Belle and Regina at Granny's commiserating about the loss of their loves. But can Henry's unexpected find actually make the Evil Queen believe her story isn't over? One-shot.


Emma breathed a sigh of relief as she entered Granny's. For the past month or so, she'd finally had a friend she could relate to, but now Elsa and her sister had gone back to Arendelle. Emma understood that the two sisters had a kingdom to run, but it just seemed so typical of her life lately. The simplest things most people took for granted, like having friends, or being able to go out on a date once in a while, were repeatedly denied to Storybrooke's Savior.

She looked at the familiar bar right in front of the diner and saw Regina and Belle looking similarly distraught. "Well, if this is a meeting of the 'life sucks' club, how come you guys didn't call me?" Emma asked as she approached.

"If you've come here to give me yet another hope speech, save it, Swan. I just watched the man I love walk across the town line with his wife and son. I'm not interested in being cheered up," Regina answered.

Emma sighed. "I don't think I could muster up a hope speech right now if I wanted to. For the first time, there was somebody in this town who understood me, but now she and her sister have gone to another realm. My parents kept trying to comfort me. I know they mean well, but I had to get out of there."

"I just commanded my husband, the Dark One, to leave Storybrooke forever. I really thought he could change. I thought I could help him change. But the only thing Rumpelstiltskin loves is power," Belle said.

Regina scoffed. "You thought he'd changed? He was ready to leave this town without even saying goodbye to his own grandson! He might've been our best chance at finding the author of Henry's book."

"We're going to find that author. I told you, Operation Mongoose isn't over yet. I'm the Savior, aren't I?" Emma asked.

"Oh, yes, thanks again for saving the wife of the man I love," Regina said sarcastically.

"Look, I said I was sorry for that about a billion times!" Emma responded.

"Sitting here arguing isn't going to help any of us," Belle said. "We've all had to deal with hard things before. We can do it again, can't we?" She looked at the other two, hoping for confirmation. There was no immediate response.

Once again, Regina shook her head in disbelief. "I should've listened to that imp when I had he chance. He told me to just let Marian go. But no, I had to try to be a hero like your mother," Regina said to Emma. "And look where it's gotten me."

"Regina, you know you did the right thing," Emma said. "You saved Marian. If you're looking for redemption, that's a good start."

"You really _are_ your mother's child, aren't you?" Regina said.

"All I'm saying is, you did good. Henry's proud of you."

That comment finally made the former mayor smile. For the past few years, she'd done everything she could to be the mother her son wanted. It wasn't easy, especially considering the fact that she literally was the Evil Queen. Her relationship with Henry had been rocky over the years, particularly when Henry began to realize what was really going on in Storybrooke. Regina had fought to hold onto her curse and her control of the town, despite Henry's pleas to do otherwise. "Well, I'm heartbroken, but at least my son is happy," Regina said, emptying her glass.

Belle turned to the Queen. "Henry came to see me in Rumple's shop the other day. He told me about his book and how you want to change your story. I told him you were on a better path now. It's just a shame Rumple couldn't be on one, too."

Suddenly, Emma sighed. "Maybe my mom was right all along. She was telling me today all about the years she spent as a bandit in the Enchanted Forest. She wondered how she could ever be happy, living on the run all her life. But she hung in there and wound up meeting my dad. Now look where they are." As she spoke, Emma couldn't help remembering last year, when she'd become an unintentional witness to her parents' meeting.

"And there's the hope speech I didn't want," Regina said.

"Regina, I'm just saying -"

But Emma was interrupted by her son suddenly running into the diner, much the same way he had yesterday. "Mom!"

"Henry, what is it?" Regina asked, alarmed by the way her son was gasping for breath. Clearly he'd gotten here as fast as he could.

"I was looking around that mansion, trying to see if there were any other secret places. I didn't think I was getting anywhere, till I found this." He handed a piece of paper to his mother.

Regina took the page from him, stunned by what she saw. It was the missing page from the storybook that Robin had found. When he left town, he gave it to Regina as a memento. After she'd watched Robin leave with Marian, Regina had ripped the page to shreds. But the paper she held now looked the same as it had when it appeared in Robin's bag. "Where did you get this?"

"Well, I was walking around, trying to look for any more clues or secret passageways. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, this page floated down from the sky. I didn't know what it meant, but I figured it had to be important."

"I tore this page up when Robin crossed the town line. How could this have happened?" Regina asked. But she didn't really expect an answer. This was all too strange, even in this town.

"I don't know, but it seems the author is trying to tell you something," Emma said.

Curious, Belle took the paper from the queen's hand. "I've been around magic for most of my life. This is something powerful. I can tell."

"Yeah, I got that," Regina snapped, taking it back. "But what is this supposed to mean?"

"It's just like those blank storybooks I showed you," Henry said. "It means your story's not over. And neither is Robin's. You _can_ still get a happy ending."

"I know you want to think that, Henry, but-"

Emma put a hand on her son's shoulder. "The kid's got the Heart of the Truest Believer. You're gonna doubt him?"

Belle looked at Henry. Despite all of the bad things Rumple had done, he was also indirectly responsible for Henry's existence. The boy was the last living connection her husband had to Baelfire. In a strange way, that made her feel a sense of hope, even as her heart still ached from the turn her life had recently taken. "I think Emma's right," she said, turning to Regina.

Regina sighed. She was surrounded by people who were unquestionably heroes here. She'd had her fill of 'don't give up' speeches lately. But she looked down at the picture in her hands. Even though it depicted a moment which had never actually happened, it was obvious they'd found true love. She thought again of what Emma had said about her parents overcoming obstacles to find their happy ending. If they'd been able to do it, why couldn't she? "Well," she finally said. "I guess this means another chapter is just beginning."

**The End**


End file.
